Medical students and residents are more likely to be burned out, depressed or fatigued compared to similarly aged college graduates pursuing other careers, according to recent research from the Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The study found that early career physicians in their first five years of practice also were more likely to report feeling burned out than their peers in other professions. At the same time, early career physicians’ levels of depression and fatigue were similar to those of their peers.
Burnout is defined in the study as “a syndrome resulting from work-related stress characterized by emotional exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and detachment towards patients (depersonalization), and a low sense of personal accomplishment.” The study shows that training appears to be the peak time for distress among physicians, while burnout, depressive symptoms and recent suicidal ideation are common during both training and the early years of medical practice.
“There is the need and the opportunity to improve well-being at all career stages,” the study said. “All trainees and early-career physicians may be more burned out than similarly aged members of the general population as a result of systematic problems rooted in our health care training and delivery system. Thus, one solution that fits across the training and practice spectrum does not exist.”
Meanwhile, a recent editorial by physician health experts in BMJ underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing challenges that arise during periods of professional and personal transition for preserving well-being and maintaining a healthy medical workforce.
The AMA, the Canadian Medical Association and the British Medical Association are hosting their biannual conference on physician health Sept. 15-17 in London, providing a forum for discussing how transitions affect physicians’ physical and emotional health.
